Real Housewives of New Jersey is constantly switching things up – which is one of the reasons we stay so addicted to it. Tiki Barber recently joined the cast as a “home husband” alongside his wife Traci Johnson, who is a friend of Jackie Goldschneider.

Fans of the show want to know why Tiki is suddenly on the show, and yes, being Traci Johnson’s husband is the short answer, but there is a lot more to the couple’s relationship and Tiki’s past than meets the eye.

Reality Titbit has all the details on why Tiki joined the RHONJ as well as his interesting past.

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Why is Tiki Barber on RHONJ?

Tiki features on the show as he is the husband of Traci, fans think he has also been introduced to the network for his exciting and controversial past that could help introduce some pretty chaotic storylines.

The couple’s relationship was thrown into media headlines in 2010 after the news broke out that Tiki had left his former wife of 11 years -who was eight months pregnant with his twins at the time – for Traci. In a statement to The Post he said:

After 11 years of marriage, Ginny and I have decided to separate. This decision was a painful one, but we are moving forward amicably and will continue to work together to raise our children with the love and dedication they have always known.

Tiki arber, The Post

Tiki said that he and Traci were “just friends” when they met

Since the news broke out there was a lot of speculation surrounding infidelity. When they met, Traci was working as an NBC intern whilst Tiki was working as a correspondent on the Today show.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Tiki was adamant that he and his now-wife were “just friends” whilst he was still married. The former NFL player said:

I was separated, out of my house so it wasn’t until then that we took things to the next level.

Tiki Barber

Traci also backed this by saying:

Tiki and I were romantically involved when he was separated, and plenty of people who are separated have boyfriends and girlfriends.

Traci Johnson

Tiki and Traci have been married a decade

Many people had doubts about the couple’s relationship due to its abnormal circumstances and their almost 14 year age gap but they have definitely proved people wrong.

The pair have been married now since 2012, just two years after he left his ex-wife. They now have two beautiful daughters and appear to be living a very happy lifestyle.

Their next chapter appears to be RHONJ and with the drama, they are already bringing, we can’t wait for more.

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Niamh is a multi-faceted journalist with speciality interests in entertainment, lifestyle and culture. She recently graduated from the University of South Wales with a degree in Journalism and enjoys writing features, reviews and trending news stories.

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